For the better part of the 19th and 20th centuries coal was the dominant form of fuel used to produce energy. That has changed and in today’s era of climate change, there has been a substantial shift away form coal as an energy source. While coal will remain a major fuel source in some parts of the world, western nations are seeking cleaner and greener alternatives. To help accomplish this goal, some inventive individuals may have found a way to use old coal mines to store vast amounts of clean energy.
The concept is relatively simple and uses one of the oldest forms of clean energy, hydro-electricity. The idea is to take old unused mine shafts which are common found in states such as West Virginia and Pennsylvania and partially fill them with water. This water is then pumped up to a reservoir at the surface of the mine using clean power generated from wind or solar farms. When utilities need power the water is released to flow back down the shaft through turbines producing energy.
The concept itself is not a new one and has been in use for over a century. However, its usage has been relatively limited, until now. With the increase in wind and solar farms a need has arisen for a means of storing the energy produced. Unlike conventional power plants wind and solar farms depend on environmental conditions and so don’t provide a steady flow of electricity. This has created a need for a storage system for the excess power from these clean energy producers.
However, the storage requirements are far too large for the lithium ion batteries commonly used today for energy storage. This concept is as yet unproven but it seems to have potential, as it requires nothing more than unused mines, water turbines and the ever present force of gravity. Whether or not the concept will prove viable remains to be seen but the potential of it has convinced companies in the United States and across the western world to give it a try. If it is indeed found to be viable this may prove to be an economic boon for states with assets based in the energy of the past.
